Miners expect gold prices to hit $2,000 this year

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The vast majority (80%) of gold mining executives expect bullion to continue its inexorable rise this year, with only 6% anticipating a fall, according to a survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Gold has benefited from its "safe haven" status - in times of trouble, investors pile into assets like gold that are considered less risky than others. Growing fears over the eurozone debt crisis pushed the precious metal to all-time highs of $1,920 last September.